Doctors, parents, and pharmaceutical companies all like to believe that giving antibiotics to children with ear infections really makes a difference. A recent Finnish study finds that Augmentin (a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanate) does make a difference.
Sixty six children, ages 6-months-to 6-years-old, with tympanostomy tubes (tubes in their ear drums) met the study criteria. Each had pussy fluid (otorrhea) coming through at least one ear tube--an indication of middle ear infection (otitis media) and hadn't been on antibiotics for at least 2 weeks.
Half the children were started on Augmentin while the other half received a placebo that looked and tasted the same as the real medicine. For the following seven days, the children were seen every day. Fluid was suctioned from their infected ear through the ear tube. The fluid was then cultured.
At the end of the seven day period, the otorrhea had gone away in 28 of 34 children (82%) who received the medicine and in 13 of the 32 children (41%) who received the placebo. The middle ear fluid obtained from the children who received the antibiotic contained bacteria for an average of one day, while the fluid from the children who received the placebo contained bacteria for the entire length of the study.
This study shows that for children with ear tubes, otorrhea, and the signs and symptoms of an ear infection, treatment with the antibiotic Augmentin significantly speeds up the resolution of the infection. Unfortunately, there was no further follow-up to see if treatment affected subsequent ear infections.
Pediatrics, 5/03.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Pediatrics for Parents, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group
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